Heat exchanger



Oct-5 1926.

A. c. SPENCER HEAT EXCHANGER Filed March 6. 1923 FIG Patented Oct. 5,1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT ALEXANDER-c. SPENCER, oF sARNLA, ONTARIO, CANADA,AssrGNoRT'o STANDARD DEVELOPMENT, COMPANY, A coRPoRATIoN 0E DELAWARE.

:HEAT EXCHANGER. l f

Application filed March c. 1923. serial No. Aezarar.

lThis invention relates to apparatus l.for transfer of hea'tfrom hotfluids to colder fluids, and Awill be fully understood.A from thefollowing description, taken in connection 'with the accompanyingdrawing, -inwhich-v Fig. 1 represents aside elevation, (partly brokenaway), of one embodiment ofthe in- I vention; v H t Fig. 2 is anendview, partly in section'on the line II-II of Fig. 1; x

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail, on a larger scale, of theend connections;and

Figli` is a similar -view of a modified' construction', the top andbottom plates be-I ing for example uniform for exchangers of .variouscapacities, differences incapacity being provided by difference in Isizeor num-ber of intermediate plates. It will be understood that` inassemblage, the plates are joined by any suitable means, for instance byriveting, as customary in yboiler practice..

Inlet and outletpip-es 2, 3, one or more of each, provide access to thespace within the shell. At each end of the 'shell is a tube; sheet 4secured with tight joints, and extending through from tube-sheet totubesheet are tubes 5. The tubes are expanded or rolled into' thetube-sheets to make tight joints therein, (welding -beingfused alsor ifdesired), and -th-e ends project beyond the tube-sheets andare in turn'secured,'as by being expanded or rolled, into connections 6.v` Theseconnections serve "to jointhe ends of thetubes so as to secure aconsecutive path between tubes, In Figs. 1 and 2, vthe connectionsare'shown of such proportion as to join the tubes in groups of fives.That is, a group of five tubes 'is connected for flow with a group o f'five, and so on back and forth through the seri-es for the same level.From one level or tier of groups to another a similar connection, orpreferably an -auxiliary modified forni as 7 is employed. To facilitateaccess for making up, cleaning, etc., th-e connections have removablecovers 8. These preferably, like the connections `finally emerging byoutlet pipe 11.

.transfer from the hot to the cooler fluid voc-l proper, are made insinglespieceyuniform standardized castings, stampings, orthe like,

landit is advantageous to vhave such piece extend clear across eachtier.,or level las shown in Fig. 2. The 'covers areheld to theconnections by bolts ortl'1e,like.`ll

A housing-is arranged to' cover over the connections, at each end,and'the closure plate 9 thereof is held by suitable means, as

bolts`9, so as to be removable when desired. The inlet' and outlet pipes10, 11 for the tube system, pass through thehou'sing at the sidebeing'suitablyguarded by flanges and join into the adjacent connection 6in each instance.v 'In case ofleakaofe into the housing, drainage may beeffected by drains 12, either pipes or'simple openings asdesired. Adrain for the central space within the shell is provided by 4the pipe13.'

The operation of the exchanger will be i clear. A hot fluid, for examplein vapor form, is passed into, the shell at Vinlets 2` and circulatesabout the tubes 5 and finally emerges at outlet pipes 3. At the sametime, a cooler fluid 'is passed into the tubes by in letpipe 10, andflowing through the first 'group of five tubes as illustrated is turnedback `by the connection" at the farther end into the next group of fivetubes in the same tier or level, the partitions as at 61L in theconnections beinglocated to permit flow into the desired group only..Returning to-the first end the flow is'directed into the last group ofthetier (the example illustrated showing four groups to a tier orlevel). On

returning to the first end the flow is directed connection 7 into thetierby the auxiliar below, and s o t e flow proceeds from group to groupand tier to tier through the tubes, Heat those stated; or the hot fluidcan be -the'onecirculated through the tubes. Such arrange-l f ordinarilybe `less adj ment however. would vantageous.

As already indicated, the construction described contemplates theassembla e of exchangers of any desired capacity y incorporating asmaller or larger numberv of the tier units of `connections and tubes,and the correspondingly necessary uniform top and bottom plates and theintermediate pla-tes.

While in this aspect of the invention, the construction of the shell,etc., on rectangular lines is preferable, in other aspects the inventioncontemplates the provision of the tubes and connections, etc., and endhousing with a shell of any desired shape.

While the grouping of the tubes byiives as mentioned is advantageous asembodying a good balance of surface .exposure and throughout for averageuses, I contemplate also larger and smaller groupings in the connections. In Fig. 4 there is'shown lfor instance a connection 13 joiningthe tube ends one to one. Again, insteadl of having the connection coveras a whole removable, access to the -tubes may be had by openings whichare normally closed by suitable plugs 14, screwthreadedly or otherwiseheld aS desired.

While I have described my invention by certain specific details, it willbe understood that this is for the purpose of illustration and is notlimitative, and that changes may be made which are within the spirit andscope of the invention.y I

I claim y v1. lApparatus of thecharacter described` which comprises anoutside shell having inylet andoutlet openings for passage of fiuid,

tube-sheets at each end of the shell, tubes extending between saidtube-sheetsand projecting. therebeyond, said-tubes being expanded intothe tube-sheets, a series of connections joining the projecting ends ofthe tubes by groups of tive, said projecting ends being expanded intothe connections, detachable cover-plates on said connections, a housingfor said connections at' each end, a detachable closure plate for eachhousing, anddrains in each housing.

2. Apparatus of the character described, which comprises an outsideshell having inlet'and outlet openings Yforpassage of fluid, tube-sheetsat each end of the shell, tubes extendingl between said tube-sheets andprojecting therebeyond, said tubes being eX- panded into thetube-sheets, a series of connections joining the projecting ends of thetubes by groups, detachable covers on saidl connections, a housing forsaid connections at each end, and a detachable closure for each housing.l

3. Apparatus of the character described,

' which comprises an outside shell having inlet and outlet openings forpassage of Huid, tube-sheetsfat each end of the shell,

. tubes extending between said tube-sheets and projecting therebeyond,said tubes being expanded into the tube-sheets, a series of connectionsjoining the projecting ends of the tubes-by groups, each group havingsubstantially the same number ot tubes, and a housing for saidconnections.`

4. Apparatus of the character described, which comprises an outsideshell having inlet and outlet openings for passage of tluid, tube-sheetsat each end of the shell, tubes extending between said tubefsheets andprojeeting therebeyond, a series of connections joining the projectingends ot the tubes by groups, detachable cover means opposite the end ofeach tube, and a housing for said connections.

5. Apparatus of the character described, which comprises an outsideshell having inlet and outlet openings for passage of fluid, tube-sheetsat each end of the shell, tubes extending between said tube-sheets andpro-y jecting therebeyond, a series of closed connectionsjoining theprojecting ends of the tubes in groups of more than two tubes,d'etachable cover means opposite the end of each tube, and a housing forsaid connections.

6. In apparatusof the character described, the combination of an outsideshell having inlet and outlet openings for passage ot' fluid,tube-sheets in the shell, tubes extending between said tube-sheets andprojecting therebeyond, said tubes being in a plurality a0 of tiers, aseries-ot connections joining the I ends of the tubes, said connectionsbeing formed in a uniform`eonstruetional unit extending across eachtier, and auxiliary connections joining tier to tier.

7. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of anoutside shell having inlet and outlet openings for passage of Huid,tubesheets inthe shell, tubes extending between said tube-sheets andprojecting therebeyond, said tubes being in a plurality of tiers, and aseries of connections joining the ends of the tubes,- said connectionsbeing formed as a uniform constructional unit extending across eachtier.

8. In apparatus ofthe character described, the combinationwith 1anoutside shell having inlet and outlet openings for passage ot fluid, of'tube-sheets in the shell, tubes extending between said tube-sheets, andpro- 11o jecting therebeyond, and a series of connections joining theends of the tubes Within the shell in groups of substantially equal num--bers of tubes.

ALEXANDER c. SPENCER.'

